Johansson Outlasts Roddick To Reach Semifinal

Making just his second appearance at the US Open and playing in the first five-set match of his fledgling career, Joachim Johansson punched the final ticket to the men’s semifinals, upsetting Andy Roddick, the men’s defending champion, Thursday night, 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 2-6, 6-4.

“I”ll recover, I”ll be fine,” said Roddick after the match. “If I didn’t feel bad, something would be wrong.”

“Losses like this make me hungrier. So hopefully, I”ll come back with something good.”

Johansson, the No. 28 seed, became the first man from Sweden to reach the semifinals at the US Open since countryman Jonas Bjorkman did in 1997.

Bjorkman lost that year to Brit Greg Rusedski in the semis, and on Super Saturday at the 2004 US Open, Johansson will try to go one step further.

Representing the bottom half of the men’s draw, the surprise semifinalist will meet another former US Open men’s champion, Lleyton Hewitt of Australia, a straight-set winner over German Tommy Haas.

Hewitt and Johansson will square off for the first time this weekend.

Only two Swedes have ever won the US Open - Mats Wilander in 1988 and Stefan Edberg in back-to-back years, 1991 & 1992.

Johansson claimed the first break of the match on a double-fault from Roddick serving at 2-2 in the first set. After a brief rain delay, Johansson returned from the locker room still on fire, and on the fourth set point, the six-foot-six Swede broke through with a laser forehand past Roddick.

In Roddick-like fashion, Johansson held serve throughout the second set, including an important hold with a pair of aces in his first service game.

Breaking Roddick on serve at 1-1 in the set, Johansson was teeming with confidence, striking an impressive topspin lob winner over Roddick.

Roddick, who was on his heels for much of the match, hadn’t been tested at the US Open in such a way since the 2003 US Open semifinal against David Nalbandian, when he lost the first two sets, and saved a match point in the third set with an ace. Roddick would go on to win that match, en route to his first US Open title.

And like the 2003 semifinal, the great champion started his comeback in the third set, launching eight of his 34 total aces.

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